Freaky Friday
by fikki
Summary: Korra and Mako can't seem to work past their differences, and that just doesn't cut it for the Spirits. It's time to teach Korra a lesson in love and power. Makorra all the way, and later chapters WILL get smutty. By request, this is a parody of Freaky Friday. Enjoy! (PS. I DO NOT OWN MAKO, KORRA, OR ANY PART OF LEGEND OF KORRA. Bryke got to it first :[ )
1. Fire and Icicles In Your Skull

Fire.

A flash of smoldering heat, a lick of flames just barely missing my hair. Instinct demands me to duck, rolling off to the side just in time to avoid a second onslaught of the roaring blaze, only to come within a hairs-breadth of contact with a soaring disk of earth. It's a dumb move, but my body reacts by throwing an arm up to block my face, letting the impact connect with my shoulder instead.

"Shit!" I gasp and lose my balance, stumbling backwards until I fall onto my back, clutching my injured limb. I groan as the dull ache set in, a throbbing that leaves my entire body tense.

"Korra! Korra, are you okay?"

Mako comes sprinting towards me, almost on a slant. The pain makes my vision twist and contort until it's nearly impossible to figure which way is up and which is down, and why he is now running completely sideways.

"M'fine, okay," I grumble indignantly as he kneels beside me, embarrassed and frustrated that I'd been so stupid. Again.

"You're lying," he sighs, picking up my arm gingerly and rolling up the sleeve, examining the already blooming bruise on my rich skin. Long fingers brush against me, leaving trails of hot silky fire beneath them.

_Really? You're thinking about that right now?_

Bolin, who was standing in shock and guilt while dumbly staring at me, finally manages to make his way over to me and his brother, apologizing profusely. "Oh gee, Korra! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you like that. It was an accident I swear! Really, I'm so, soooo sorry!"

"It's okay, Bo. S'my fault," I say through grit teeth as Mako prods the bruising spot a little too roughly, "I shouldn't have blocked like that."

"Damn right, you shouldn't have," the firebender scolds in response under his breath.

"Don't get mad at me for this!"

"I'm not mad! I'm just frustrated."

"That's the same thing!"

"Is not! What? Would you rather I be laughing hysterically at you for pulling such a dumb move?"

"At least I'm not a jerkbender!"

"At least I'm not a cocky, irrational, close-minded, stubborn-"

"Yes you are!"

Mako lets out an impatient groan, rolling his eyes at my remark and lowering his accusing tone. "I don't understand why you can't even at least _try_ to be careful."

"I do," looking away, I sigh, "I'm just not good at it."

We sit in silence then, me defiantly staring down at the ground while Mako finishes examining my hit. "Looks like it'll be fine. Just internal bruising at the worst."

"I can heal it later," I say quietly, now feeling a pang of regret for being so harsh on him. All he wanted to do was help me, make sure I was okay. Shouldn't I be grateful for that? Shouldn't I be glad that Mako cares so much about my safety?

"Yeah," is all he responds. He stands, then offers me his hand for leverage. I pull myself onto my feet, taking care to not put my injured arm under any stress, and start walking towards the locker room.

"We should just call it a day. Practice can wait until tomorrow," Bolin adds to the stifling silence, trying to lighten the mood. Clearly the earthbender is uncomfortable being stuck in the middle of the ever-increasing tension between me and Mako.

The comment seems to go unnoticed though as Mako runs to catch up with me, taking my bag up on his shoulder before I can grab it. "I'll help. You're not gonna be able to carry all of this with a messed up arm."

"I'm not dying, Mako. I can carry a bag!" I fight back, grappling with him to reach my stuff.

"Calm down. Let a guy help out for once. You don't have to be so independent all the time, you know."

"I'm _not_. I just don't _need_ help." It's not like I'm completely impaired like this. It's just my shoulder, after all. I can still function properly, aside from the increasing pain that is now creeping up into my back from the shock of the hit.

"Whatever," it seems as if he couldn't care less about how "fine" I feel, "I'm helping anyway."

"Told you that you're stubborn," I stick my tongue out at him, and he gives me a look of such complete exasperation that I can't stop myself from laughing.

My chuckling continues until we get to the locker rooms, the doorway split on two side. I turn into the girl's room, and am shocked as Mako follows me in, not even hesitating at the door.

"Woah, excuse me Hot Man," I turn on my heels, stopping immediately in front of him, "where do you think you're going?"

"To help you?"

"This is the girl's locker room."

"Yes."

"So?"

Mako stares at me, looking dumbfounded for reasons I can't figure out, "There's no one else here. We're the only team that practices Thursday nights."

Does he really not get it? "Mako, I am a _girl_. You are a _boy_. You go that way. I go this way."

"I said I was helping you."

Throwing my hands up in frustration, I almost yell, "Helping me what? Get undressed, you creep?"

"Well, yeah. You're gonna need help." I make a face at him, and quickly he tries to correct himself, "Korra, you're arm is hurt. You're not going to be able to take your padding off without a second pair of hands. And it's only creepy if you make it creepy," he adds with a smirk, pushing past me and entering the locker room anyway.

"Stupid jerkbender," I gripe under my breath, following reluctantly and then leading him to my locker. "Alright," I sigh once we find it, "you can help me take off the padding, but after that you're turning around, got it?"

"Okay, okay. Relax, will you. I'm not going to try to sneak a peak or anything. Nothing I haven't seen before anyway." His face seems serious enough, and his tone suggests he means it, aside from that last comment which makes me scowl, and so I lift my arms with a slight wince and let him work on unbuckling, untying, and every other process involved in getting my layers of protection off.

Who was the _idiot_ who forgot to make better padding for shoulders?

I hiss in pain when Mako pulls the chest padding over my head, arms stretching uncomfortably above me. "Are you okay?" He asks immediately at the noise, stopping with the padding only halfway off.

"Just- ah. Get it off," I growl, biting back the pain.

With a quick, white-vision-inducing yank, Mako pulls the rest of the gear off, making my head spin at the blinding stinging in my arm. No, it's more than a sting, really. It's more like ten thousand earthbenders pummeling my arm with bullets of solid rock repeatedly in one spot. I stumble a little, struggling to keep my balance as the dizziness returns, and let my back fall against the lockers, using it to support myself.

"Korra," Mako instinctively moves to hold me up, a hand gripping my good arm and the other on my waist. His amber blazing eyes are filled with concern, as if he's staring at me on my death bed.

I let the breath that has been knocked out of me for a moment return before speaking, talking a little too slowly, "It's…okay. Just a little… woozy." I somehow get myself off of the lockers, waiting for Mako to take his hands off of me so I can finish getting dressed. It has only just dawned on me that I'm standing there in just my wrappings on top and the sweaty cotton pants that I had been practicing in. His large hands singe my skin, though it's probably only my imagination that tells me they are that hot.

"Look, why don't you sit down," he indicates to the bench next to me, "and I'll help you get dressed. I don't want you passing out on me. What would people say if they saw me dragging you, unconscious, half naked, out of the girls locker room, after all," he tries to joke, but honestly my ears are to concerned with the new ringing sound that has just appeared out of nowhere to care what he is saying.

I let Mako gently push me down onto the bench, and he grabs my clothes out of the open locker along with a roll of wrapping tape. Bandaging my arm with deft fingers, he's careful to put as little pressure as he can on my shoulder. I can't help but shiver each time his hand grazes against my back, watching with odd fascination the speed of his movements. He tosses the tape aside when finished, then rolls my shirt up in his hands so it will be easier for him to slide up over my head.

"Lift," he orders quietly, and with a soft whine I bring my arms up as far as they will allow, which is only about midway. He slips the sleeve holes over my hands and pulls the shirt up my arms and over my head, messing my pulled back hair in the process. Tugging the hem of it down, his knuckles skim against my sides, and my teeth chew on my lower lip, trying not to focus on the tickling feeling.

Almost without pausing, Mako hooks his fingers into the waistband of my pants and starts to pull, waiting for me to lift myself up so he can slide them past by butt and underwraps. Eyes carefully trained on his own hands, he removes my pants completely and reaches for the clean ones, sticking my legs in them with a hand guiding my ankles.

"Mako, I can-" I try to stop him, my cheeks turning an embarrassing shade of red at my exposing attire, but he silences me.

"Up," he merely says, and I push myself up again with one arm so he can finish his work, sliding the pants up to my hips. He sighs when he finishes, crouching before me and placing his hands on my knees. "I promise, I didn't look," he almost smiles, but instead he glances at something just above my head, scrunching his eyebrows. He's up and suddenly behind me before I can say anything, hands easing off the clips in my hair.

"W-what are you doing?" I stutter, the feeling of his fingers running through my chestnut locks, pulling out the tangles carefully, leaving me stunned.

"Fixing your hair. It was messed up."

"Oh," I breathe, trying to relax as he finishes combing with his hands, then begins pulling the strands up into their usual wolf-tails. It feels almost soothing to have his fingers lightly scratch my scalp, working to gather all of my hair together. I lean back a little, letting my back rest on his stomach while he continues, the pain starting to settle deeper and making it hurt to sit up. I'm not ready to move when he finishes, nor am I ready to give up his fingers toying and fumbling in my hair, but everything is in order once again, and I let out a barely audible huff of disappointment.

"Better," he acknowledges with approval, and comes back around to help me gather my gear into my bag. I can't bring myself to look at him, afraid I'll inevitably say something completely idiotic if I do.

"Thanks," I finally mumble as we head out of the locker room, "you know, for helping me and all. Sorry it was such a bother."

Mako shrugs, "It was no big deal. I just didn't want you to hurt yourself."

"Right."

"Yeah."

We walk silently to the apartment that we share just a few blocks away, since the old home in the attic of the arena had been destroyed years ago. I still don't know how I got Tenzin to allow me to stay here after turning twenty a few months ago, but I'm living with the team, and everything is going well.

Aside from that annoying crush that I may or may not have been developing on Mako.

It's true; Mako and I have always had a weird connection since we first met, but things hadn't worked out like we thought they would after everything with Amon settled. It was amazing for a while; he took me on dates, we kissed, we cuddled, all of that jazz. We really were in love, and he never let me forget it. We were together for months, and he was my first, too. I cared about him so much, I still do, but things started to get rough after a while.

Once the Arena was rebuilt, we tried to put our focus back into pro-bending, but it was hard to ever get anywhere when every time the opposing team took a shot at me, Mako would play hero and take the hit instead. I can't even count how many times he ruined our strategies because of it. I tried to tell him to stop, insisted that I can handle myself on my own in the ring, but of course, Mako cared too much to risk me getting hurt. There was a series of fights after that, a lot of pestering and arguing mostly because we were frustrated with each other but were too scared to confront the real issue.

It got to a point where both of us were miserable. The Fire Ferrets were losing almost every match, Bolin couldn't stand to be in the same room as us, and every night I would either go to bed crying after a fight or punching a hole in the wall of my room. I guess I was getting tired of paying for the repairs, because I broke it off with him one night after a bad loss. There was a lot of crying, and begging, and false promises that I didn't want to hear anymore, but eventually it was all over.

It took months for the two of us to get back to a state of normalcy, to be able to be in the same room and have a conversation without a sense of discomfort and guilt. Eventually we got the team into shape, and although it took a while, Mako and I were able to move past it all and bring the team to success. We dedicated everything to Pro-bending, working the Fire Ferrets from rookies to champs in no time. It was easier like that, without a relationship in the way. We wanted to be winners, right? And we are now.

But it still feels like pieces are missing.

We walk in expecting an empty apartment, but it looks as though our night is about to be a lot more exciting than we expected. Asami and Bolin are sitting on the couch, bottles of some sort of liquor in hand and Iroh sits across from them on the floor, laughing as the alcohol spills down Bo's chin, mostly missing his mouth completely.

"Aren't you a little young for that, kiddo," Mako interrupts, snatching the bottle out of his brother's hand and taking a swig. Bolin and I are the only ones not old enough to drink still.

"Like you care. You let Korra drink."

"That's because Korra's not my younger brother," he teases, handing me the bottle, to my surprise. Usually he never encourages it if I drink, but he never stops me either.

"C'mon, Mako," Asami cuts in with that sultry tone of hers, the one that he can hardly refuse when he hears it. If she wasn't with Iroh, my already hopeless fantasies of dating Mako would be down the drain instantly. "Just let him have a few. It's not like he hasn't already downed half of that bottle anyway."

"Alright, fine," he gives in too easily. "But if you wake up with a hangover and whine about it, I'm not going to pity you in the slightest."

Bolin cheers and thrusts a fist in the air, then grabs the other bottle out of Asami's hand and gulps down an obscene amount. I take a short sip from the drink in my grip as well, then hand it off to Iroh, who easily downs the fiery liquid.

It seems like the night is going to be pretty casual, just sitting around and drinking, but not shockingly, Bolin and the heiress to Sato Industries grow impatient and bored, deciding it would be fun to mix things up.

"Let's play spin the bottle!" The earthbender chirps excitedly, a small hiccup escaping him.

Asami agrees enthusiastically, but Mako quickly declines the idea, "You realize that's a terrible game, right? Iroh, you wouldn't want your girlfriend kissing me or Bo if she had to, would you?" He looks to the general for help, but the older firebender just shrugs.

"Can't say it would really bother me that much. It's just a game. I know it wouldn't mean anything to her if she had to."

Mako gives him a displeased look, having fully expected Iroh to back him up. "Am I the only one here with a sense of sanity?"

I give a short snort of laughter and mutter sarcastically, "Right, says the guy who insisted on going into the girl's locker room with me."

"I was just being a good friend, okay?"

"Taking off my clothes is not something normal 'friends' do, ya know."

"Well maybe if you actually remembered to block yourself sometimes it wouldn't be a problem!"

"Listen here, City Boy-" I point an angry finger at him, but am cut off as a strong hand grips my wrist.

"No, _you_ listen here," Mako growls, and I feel myself shrink back. "What's your problem, Korra? You're acting like I'm some creepy stalker or something. Every time I try to do something friendly, you get all weird on me. What's going on?"

"Nothing! Nothing's going on," I shoot back, eyes dropping down to stare at the floor.

Mako glares at me in silence, as if reading my lies like a book. "I know you're hiding something from me."

"No I'm not."

"So you might as well just tell me now."

"I'm not hiding anything."

"You know, it's really easy to tell when you're lying," he adds casually.

"I'm not lying either!"

"When you lie you look down to the left. Like you're doing right now."

Damn him for knowing me so well. "Sh-shut up, Mako."

"What? Have I left the Avatar speechless?" I can smell the alcohol on his breath, and the stupid smirk on his lips makes me flush with anger and embarrassment at the same time.

"I'll show you speechless," I snarl, and instantly Mako is thrown against the wall, a thick layer of ice sealed around his wrists and ankles, holding him to the wood, and one thin strip across his lips to keep him quiet. "Don't you think that maybe you should watch what you're saying to the most powerful being on the planet? I mean, I could singe your ass off in a second if I really wanted too."

Mako's eyebrows scrunch in anger, and a muffled protest escapes him, but I simply smile and ignore it. Asami's on her feet, looking between me and Mako with uncertainty, as if she can't decide whether or not to try to stop me or get herself pinned to the wall right next to him. Bolin stands beside her, laughing heartily at his brother's helpless position, too drunk to realize the potential of the situation.

"Korra, don't hurt him-" Asami cautions me, but really don't want to hear it.

I turn on her, directing my anger in her direction instead, "He deserves it though! He's been _provoking_ me all day. I'm just teaching him a lesson."

Asami opens her mouth to retort, but is cut short again as her eyes flash behind me, and suddenly I'm off my feet and on the ground, pinned with my hands behind my back. My shoulder feels like it's been torn off of my body and I almost scream from the pain.

"Firebender, remember?" Mako hisses, and I curse myself for being so stupid. I should have used earth, dammit!

"Mako, I swear to Agni I will put an icicle through your head-"

"Go ahead! Can't do much without your hands."

"I'll bloodbend your ass all the way to Yue if I have to!"

"Yeah right, I'd like to see you try-"

"WILL YOU TWO SHUT IT ALREADY?" Iroh booms amidst the arguing, and without warning or reason the lights flicker, then with a loud pop go out, and a deafening rumble shakes the apartment violently. Asami screams and I force myself up to reach for the closest thing near me, gripping it like iron as I lose my balance and fall over again, landing on something unusually warm. The quaking continues for mere seconds that in my head feel like hours, and I clench my eyes shut, willing the fear to go away. _What if it's an attack? What if Amon's forces have returned after planning for years in secret to take their revenge on the Avatar? _

As quickly as the whole thing starts, the shaking abruptly stops, and the lights shuddered back on like nothing happened. Even after the apartment stills, I refuse to move, at least until whatever is under me decides to make me.

"Korra," Mako grunts, "get offa me."

I open my eyes and look down to see Mako being straddled beneath me, my cheeks instantly turning bright red at the sight. "Oh shit," I gasp and scramble off of him, sliding away from his outstretched body. "You okay?" I ask as he groans and sits up.

"You're a lot heavier than you look," he grumbles, rubbing his spine.

"Really? Even after we almost die, you're gonna insult me?"

"Mako! Korra? Are you guys okay?" I hear Asami yell, and I look around the trashed apartment for her. She's tucked into Iroh's strong embrace, probably after running right too him when the shaking first started, and they're hiding under the kitchen table along with Bolin.

"Yeah, we're fine," I answer and try to stand, but I can still feel the shaking in my legs, and that combined with the shaking from my own fear makes it nearly impossible to regain my balance.

"Speak for yourself."

"Shut up. Rub some dirt on it."

Mako just rolls his eyes and chooses not to fight back, a wise decision on his part since I'm already emotional enough right now.

"What the fuck was that?" Bolin says, crawling out from under the table.

"I don't know," Asami sighs, "but it feels like the spirits are mad at a certain pair of benders for fighting so much," she glares at me and Mako accusingly.

"What are you talking about?"

"The Avatar's Fury."

"What?" I ask. If there's something called the Avatar's Fury and _I'm_ the Avatar then how the hell have I not heard of this? Someone really should be telling me these things.

"You've never heard of the Avatar's Fury?" Iroh gives me a quizzical look, and I look between him and Asami dumbfounded, waiting for an answer to my obvious confusion.

"It's a very famous legend that's been retold for generations on end. In fact, my grandfather used to tell it to me when I was a boy."

"'Scuse me, lived in the South Pole. We don't have worldly legends like that down there. Please explain," I demand.

"The Avatar's Fury," Iroh begins to elaborate in a way that sounds oddly similar to a textbook, "is a legend that dates back to the very beginning of the Avatar cycle. It is said that when the current Avatar, meaning you, misuses her powers or becomes overwhelmed by her skill, her predecessor will take the liberty of putting her, so to speak, 'back in her place'. Teach her a lesson," he smirks at the last phrase, and I shake my head, almost laughing.

"That has to be the most ridiculous story I've ever heard. A previous Avatar would never do something so childish. Right?" I look at Bolin and Mako for support, but the brothers both shrug in confusion.

"I'm sure it can't be real. It's just a legend, right?" Mako looks to Iroh, and Iroh gives a coy smile.

"I don't know. We'll have to see. Maybe if strange things start happening to Korra, we'll have our proof. But for now, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Like you said, it _is_ just a legend."

"Right," I breathe, looking out the window. I can see Avatar Aang's memorial from our apartment, and I feel a shiver run down my spine. _Can an Avatar really do something like that?_

"We should go, Iroh. I should go check on the mansion," Asami pulls on his arm, tugging him towards the door. "We'll catch you guys around. And Korra," she turns back to me from the doorway and says with a wink, "watch out for those spirits."

It takes almost an hour for us to at least tidy up a fraction of the mess created from the "earthquake", as Mako is now referring to it as. By the time we're done, and Bolin is already passed out on the couch after watching us clean for a good five minutes, it's past midnight. I'm tired and hungry, but the headache pounding against my temples is willing me to ignore the grumbling in my stomach and just go to bed. Mako looks just as beat as I feel, his raven hair frazzled and mussed from him running a hand through it out of aggravation so many times.

"I think we should call it a night," he finally sighs after sweeping up a shattered plate that had fallen off the counter. "We can finish this up in the morning."

"Yeah."

There's a long silence between us, and I know Mako and I are both thinking about the same thing. I have been acting weird around him, we both know that, but telling him how I feel and risking everything we've worked for with the team just doesn't seem like the right thing to do. That would be selfish, and as the Avatar, my duty is to be _selfless_.

"Korra?"

"Yeah?" I turn around expectantly, and the fleeting memory of my first kiss with Mako flashes through my mind. _Don't think about it. Don't think about his lips. Don't think about his mouth. And don't you even dare think about his tongue. _

"Are you sure everything is okay?"

"Positive," I deadpan, and finish sliding one of the bookcases back into place against the wall.

Mako lets out an annoyed huff, "Well, it really doesn't seem that way to me."

"_Well_ it is."

"Then what's with the attitude? Why are you freaking out every time I touch you? Why are you so angry with me all the time?" He approaches me, cornering me between the bookcase and the wall.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about." And the position we're in is definitely not helping to solve the predicament either.

His hardened expression melts into something that is more like a mix of confusion and desperation, golden eyes practically ripping at my heart for hiding the truth from him. "Why don't you trust me anymore?" He sounds beaten, like he's given up fighting and just wants an answer, but I can't give one to him. His eyes are imploring, begging me to tell him what's going on, and the guilt that I feel for it is nearly overwhelming.

I break past him, mumbling a pathetic "I'm sorry" as I push by. Without looking back I almost run for my room, and I can here Mako grunt out "Dammit, Korra" just before I slam my door shut. The tension is so thick I can barely breathe, and I almost wish that maybe Avatar Aang will take me away from all of this just for a day, even if it _is_ to teach me a lesson.


	2. Give 'Em the Old Switcheroo

**Yay second chapter! I actually got it done. We should all give me a round of applause for actually doing something. Anyway, I'll talk more at the end! ~Fikki**

**I do not own Legend of Korra, or any of these characters (no matter how much I wish I did -_-)**

**Give 'Em the Old Switcheroo **

I dream about her that night.

It's not all that surprising; it happens so often enough as of late that I'd almost look forward too it, if it didn't make me feel like shit. I shouldn't be dreaming about her, even if it is about… _innocent_ things. Like fighting. Which has a tendency to lead to other things in my head too, though. But I can't help what I dream about! I am a guy after all, right? And it's okay to sometimes have those kinds of dreams, even if they may be about your ex-girlfriend.

Right?

All of this confusion is now contributing to my already sucky morning, which was bound to be terrible anyway after last night. Opening my eyes is the last thing I want to do right now, because that means I'm awake, and being awake means I have to go through another potentially mind-numbingly maddening day with Korra and her recently impossible to understand emotions. _And_ there's an annoying pain in my shoulder, and I don't remember how it got there. Great.

Reluctantly, and after a long yawning stretch, I open my eyes to the dampened brightness of the room. Funny, I don't remember ever sleeping with the blinds shut. And was the window always on the right side of my room? It must just be the drowsiness. What I wouldn't do to be able to sleep all day, avoid work and practice, cuddle up next to Korra and-

_Dammit, Mako! Get it together and __**stop thinking about her**__. It's over, gone forever. You screwed things up with her, and she ended it. What makes you think she'd ever want to go through that again? Give it up already. _

I groan into my hands, pressing them to my face. They feel softer than usual, and smaller. Then again, my face feels smaller too. Maybe it's just me going crazy, because I could name the person that this face belongs to in an instant, I've felt it so many times, held it in my hands, caressed it, kissed it…

This is Korra's face.

The following few seconds are a jumble of frantic movement and so much gasping that I almost forget how to breathe. I pull my hands away from my (is it really mine?) face, only to be left speechless at the sight of delicate, mocha skinned palms, and I throw the blankets off of me in a panic, only to be met with a view of Korra's toned legs and...

I didn't know she slept naked.

I can't stop the ridiculously girly sounding scream from escaping me, and at the same time Korra- but wait, that's my body!- bursts into the room with a scowl so deep on her face that I'm impressed by how intimidating I really can look. My instinct is to cover my overly exposed body, even though it's noting she hasn't seen since it _is_ hers, but the blankets are all on the floor and I'm still too shocked and scared shitless to even consider being able to move. Korra slams the door shut behind her, and being Korra shrieks the most obscene thing she could have at this moment.

"I HAVE A PENIS."

I could almost laugh if the fact weren't true, because that's _my_ penis she's talking about and the reality that it is no longer on my body is very concerning.

"Yeah, thanks for the update, but would you mind telling me how it got there?" I spit back. I have no reason to be mad at her, or who to even be mad at in the first place, but for some reason I can't stop the bitter tone in my voice.

"How the hell should I know? AND WOULD YOU PLEASE COVER YOURSELF UP. I CAN'T STOP STARING AT MY OWN BOOBS." Korra screams at me, and I finally understand why people cower in fear when I'm angry. Her fists are balled at her sides, spewing flames, though probably unintentionally, and her eyes are burning holes into me. I scramble around to find something to cover myself with, but the only thing within reach is a pillow, so I position it over myself to try and preserve the little of my modesty left. And are breasts supposed to make your chest feel this heavy all the time?

"Will you please keep it down? Bolin may be a heavy sleeper but you're threatening to wake the neighborhood right now," I whisper harshly at her. She takes a deep, calming breath and the flames in her fists slowly diminish to nothing but a thin ribbon of smoke curling into the air.

"Mako, please tell me this is a dream."

"It's a dream."

"If you're going to be sarcastic about it then don't bother," she rolls her eyes, folding her arms over her chest. It's like watching myself in a mirror, only I'm not moving.

"Look, I'm just as confused as you are, okay? There's no way this can be real." I chew on my lip in thought, trying to figure out some way that the laws of the universe would ever allow something like a body switch to happen, and _why_ in the world it would if it could.

"Unless…"

"Unless what?" Korra urges, striding over to sit next to me on the bed. "_What_, Mako?"

I glance over at her, afraid the idea is too ridiculous, and quietly mumble, "The Avatar's Fury."

"What?"

"The Avatar's Fury," I say a little louder this time, and just as I predicted, she laughs.

"That's just a legend, Mako. Even Iroh said so."

"Yeah, but you know who told that legend to Iroh?" I look at her expectantly, and she shrugs. "It was his grandfather," I finally sigh.

"So?"

"So, Firelord Zuko was close friends with Avatar Aang, was he not?"

"Yeah. Not following you here, Flameo." She leans back on her hands, arm muscles rippling with the movement. That training really is paying off, isn't it?

"Korra, could I make it more obvious? Who would know better about The Avatar's Fury than someone who witnessed it happen to an Avatar?"

Her eyebrows knit together as she processes it all, and it seems like she's finally starting to get the picture. "But, how do we know that Aang ever went through that, or that Zuko was even there to see?"

"We don't," I shrug, "but we'll just have to assume, since we have no better ideas."

We're both silent for a moment, and I start to feel the discomfort of being naked again after forgetting while in the heat of everything. Korra's staring off at the wall, amber eyes glazed over and clouded in bewilderment.

"Kor?" I finally break her daze, and she looks as if she's about to cry.

"What do we do?" Her voice, my voice, sounds so helpless and broken, and I had no idea I could ever sound like that; make such heart-wrenching noises.

"I… I don't know. I guess we just have to wait it out? Maybe it's just a twenty-four hour thing."

"But Mako we can't-"

Suddenly the door opens, a tired-eyed Bolin standing in the frame. "Hey Korra, have you seen-" he stops abruptly, taking in the scene, then a coy smile creeps onto his lips. "So you finally back together, huh?"

Once again, I am hit with the realization that I am indeed naked, sitting in bed with what looks like me, and this is Korra's body, and there is _no way_ I am allowing my baby brother to ever see her like this.

"B-bolin," Korra stutters before I can say anything, "haven't you heard of knocking?"

"Get out, Bo!" I yell, and thankfully remember that throwing my pillow at him would be counter productive to my goal.

"Alright, alright, s'not like we all didn't see it coming anyway," he chuckles as he walks away, closing the door behind him.

To call the situation awkward would be the understatement of the century, a disservice to the universe and all that is in existence, because the amount of tension and discomfort left in that room the moment the door shuts would be enough to drown every single past Avatar and all of their damn body-swapping powers. Korra clears her throat, and I hug the pillow a little tighter to me, scooting away a bit. Neither of us knows what to say, or if we even should comment on the subject, and so the silence continues until Korra boldly stands up.

"I think I should leave-"

"Yeah I should get dressed-"

"and go change, yeah-"

"put a bra on or something-"

"sounds good. Right, so I'll just… yeah," she turns and shuffles out the door, nearly slamming it in the process. There's a moment of silence, and it would actually be peaceful if everything wasn't so fucked up right now. I hear three knocks on the door, and it opens a crack, Korra poking her head in.

"And Mako?"

"Yeah?"

"Just," she glances down at my chest, "be careful with those. Okay?"

I feel my cheeks turn a profuse shade of red, and nod a shaky, "Oh-okay."

"Thanks."

The door closes again, and I fall back onto the bed with a groan, letting my arms hang over my face. There is no way in hell that I will be able to do this for a second more than twenty-four hours.

By the time I figure out how to put a bra on and have enough clothes on to look presentable, I cautiously make my way out into the living room, glancing every which way for Bolin. I'm not sure if I can face him right now and convincingly put up the Korra act without having a mental breakdown. It's a lot harder to be cool-under-fire when you're learning how to be an entirely different person, after all.

"Hey, look who's dressed," just my luck, Bolin walks into the kitchen and waggles an eyebrow at me, "and it's a good thing too. I was afraid Mako would spring a leak, the way he was staring at you."

"Oh, uh, yeah. I guess." I figure it's better to say less, not wanting Bo to catch on that something is different.

"So you guys…?"

"N-no! No, we're not-" I rub the back of my head, looking away, "nothing happened. He just came in to… ask me a question, and he caught me while I was still sleeping."

"Ah," he said, a small smile still on his face. We're quiet for a while, mostly because I'm really scared to say anything more and screw everything up. Then Bo looks at me with a frightening glint in his eyes and asks, "So you sleep naked?"

"Bo!"

"Sorry, sorry, I had to ask," he chuckles, putting his hands up in defeat, "but if you don't want to talk about it, s'okay."

Thank the damned spirits Korra walks in at that moment, because I don't think I can handle another millisecond of my brother flirting with me. If this is how he always acts around her when I'm not around, then I'll have to apologize on behalf of his behavior later.

"Hey, bro. Korra," she nods to the two of us, then slides into a chair at the table. "I'm starving. Breakfast, anyone?"

I can't help but laugh, because sometimes Korra can be the biggest idiot. "Yeah, _Mako_. Why don't you make us breakfast? I mean, you do it every day." I know the look on my face is smug, and Korra glares at me fleetingly so Bo doesn't notice.

"Right. Breakfast. Got it."

Observing with an amused smirk, I watch as Korra attempts to find all the ingredients for- well, I'm not exactly sure what she's planning there. But I watch her fumble with boxes and bottles, fussing with the stove, trying to get the flame going (at which I suggest she light it herself, since she is a firebender) and haphazardly combine different ingredients into a pan, along with some eggs. Thankfully Bolin is too preoccupied with Pabu doing tricks to notice the mayhem in the kitchen, and after Korra burns the eggs the first time I get up to help her.

"Need some help with that, City Boy?" I tease, and I know it must really piss her off that she can't use her stupid little nicknames on me now.

She gives a defeated sigh and turns to me, "Yes, please."

Sufficiently pleased with her performance, I bump her to the side with my hip, quietly taking over breakfast duties while she tries to make it look like she's helping so Bolin is less suspicious. It's not every day that he sees Korra cooking, after all.

Somehow, and I'm not sure how, we manage to pull off eating together at the table without causing any trouble. Granted, it's a much quieter meal than normal, but from what we can tell Bolin has no idea that anything is different, even the little lie we had to make about me teaching Korra how to finally cook. I can't believe how calm she and I are about this, and I think that maybe it's just the shock still settling in, or maybe we're both still convinced we're in a dream, but it seems like it may be possible for the two of us to pull this off.

"Kor-er, um, Mako," I grab her attention just before she leaves the room, "I need to talk to you. About… um, s-stuff. You know. _Stuff_."

Korra shoots me a glare at my near slip-up, then agrees casually and follows me back to my room. She's a lot better at keeping her cool like this than I am. "Yeah, sure."

"Just keep it down in there you guys, I don't want to be able to hear whatever 'stuff' you're talking about," Bolin calls from the living room, and I nearly strangle him with a water whip.

Then I remember that normally I can't waterbend.

Korra looks at me in pure horror, as if I've _intentionally_ stolen something that was rightfully hers, and I can't take my eyes off the stream of liquid swirling around my own hand. How is this possible? Does this mean that I'm…

The Avatar?

"Korra! Bedroom, now!"

I feel myself being dragged away and I stumble to keep up with Korra, who's storming into the bedroom with me being held by the collar. She shoves me inside, probably not aware of how much stronger she is than me now, and slams the door so hard I'm afraid it's going to splinter into pieces on impact.

"What the hell?" She scream-whispers, making sure Bo can't hear us from the other room.

"I-I…"

"WHY DID YOU TAKE MY BENDING?"

"I didn't take it," I nearly shout back, "I didn't even know I had it in the first place!"

"This isn't right. This is not right at all!" She starts pacing the room, hands gripping her raven hair. "I'm the Avatar. Korra is the Avatar. It shouldn't matter what body I'm in, _I'm the Avatar_! How is this possible!"

"Probably part of your punishment."

"What?" Korra stops her frantic pacing and glowers at me.

"You know, The Avatar's Fury. Maybe this is part of the lesson you're supposed to learn."

"Lesson? What lesson? There's nothing I have to learn!"

I shrug, sitting on the bed, "Well, maybe that's your problem."

"I don't have a problem! There never was a problem to begin with. I just want my bending back!" Korra's voice is now dangerously loud, and I quickly try to hush her.

"Alright, alright! Calm down. I'm sure the spirits have some sort of explanation for this, after all. I mean, they wouldn't just give anyone the powers of the Avatar for no reason, right?"

"I don't know, Mako. I'm really starting to question their judgment right now."

"Yeah, me too," I grumble, fed up with the entire situation. As cool as it is to be able to bend all four elements, being totally clueless as to how to do it is really kind of frightening.

"Mako."

"Hmm," I'm still distracted by the thought of me trying to figure out how to earthbend.

"The tournament."

Fuck.

"Shit! How could I have forgotten about that?" The Semi-Finals tournament for pro-bending is next week! What if the curse isn't gone by then? What if I need to learn how to competitively and skillfully waterbend in _one fucking week_.

"How are we supposed to compete when you have no clue how to bend?"

The silence between us is answer enough. We're screwed. We're going to have to forfeit, or otherwise make a complete fool of the Avatar in front of the entire city. Korra's whole reputation is in my hands now, and that's more terrifying than anything I've ever had to take on.

"Korra, this is it. We're gonna have to give it up this season."

Flaming fists returned, Korra turns on me, "No! No, we can't just quit now! Mako, we may have enough money from our winnings right now, but going a whole season without it? We're all going to have to find new jobs, and probably move out of this place, and-"

"We'll be fine! So we have to cut down a bit, but what does it matter? We can't risk ruining this; I don't want to," looking away, I sigh, "embarrass you."

"What?"

"If I screw up in the arena, if I can't waterbend, then how will that make the Avatar look? I can't be responsible for something like that."

I can feel Korra's eyes on me, making my skin flush and back shiver. Is it bad that I'm so concerned about her? Can she tell my feelings for her have changed over the years? Something inside me almost wants her to know, to get the weight off of my chest and not have to hide from it any more, but will there ever be a right time for it? Surely not now, with the tournament only a week away and our bodies swapped, would a poorly timed love confession be appropriate.

"Mako," my own voice pulls my attention back from the buzzing thoughts in my head, "I trust you." She comes to kneel before where I'm sitting, and it's almost bizarre how quickly our roles have reversed, how well she plays a man and how affected I am by it. Is it possible, normal, to be… attracted to yourself? No, that can't be right at all. "I know you'll do your best to keep me in the good eye of the public."

"Of course-"

"Which is why," she stops me, "I think we should stay in the tournament. I know that you would never let something bad happen in the ring, and that maybe… maybe we can pull this off."

"But shouldn't we be figuring out a way to get this all back to normal?" I counter, not exactly keen on the idea of posing as Korra for any longer than necessary.

"That's true. But if we can't fix it by then, we'll just have to make do with what we've got."

As much as I hate to admit it, she's right, and I finally agree, "Okay. If you think so, then fine. But you're going to have to give me some help here, I can't exactly teach myself how to waterbend."

"Right. We'll have to start as soon as possible."

"How about this afternoon?" I offer. "You don't have work, and practice isn't until later."

Korra laughs, a rich sound to my ears that I enjoy a little too much, and adds, "That reminds me. You're air-sitting in about an hour."

"WHAT?"

"Yep! Tenzin and Pema have this luncheon thing with some of the council members, and I offered to watch the kids for a while."

"But Korra I don't know how to-" I try to argue, but she's already turning to leave.

"And while you're doing that, I'm going to go have some fun with my new body. See what you're really capable of as a firebender," she winks, then opens the door.

"Korra!"

"What?"

I'm not sure what I was planning on saying, and the first thing that comes out of my mouth is, "Be careful. You know, with _that_." My eyes flick down, and I'm pleased to see the red flush on her face.

Okay, maybe one day like this can't be that bad, right?

**So admittedly, it is really hard to remember when Korra's talking it's supposed to sound like Mako, and visa versa, and picture them doing stuff because I still refer to them as "she" and "he" respectively, but just work through it! I'm hoping after a few chapters it will get easier. Ah well. I hope you guys like it though. I don't think I'm going to be switching off POV every chapter, but I will do it often enough. So yeaaahh. Look out of for the next chapter soon! **


	3. Little Mako's Big Debut

**Well lookie here, SOMEONE POSTED AN UPDATE. Hope you guys enjoy this one. Korra does a little personal exploring of her own, both internally and externally with her new body. Not smutty yet, but IT BE COM ING. JUST YOU WAIT. Okay, I'll stop now. Have fun, and I do not own Korra, Mako, Little Mako, or any of the characters in Legend of Korra. ~Fikki**

**Little Mako's Big Debut**

Missing. Something's missing. It feels like someone's torn out three fourths of my soul and left just a measly fraction of it as compensation, like a half caring "Sorry for your loss, I hope this card helps". I may still be able to firebend, but without the rest of my elements, it's like my entire purpose has been taken away. And worse, it's been burdened onto the person I love the most.

Love as a friend, I mean. Strictly platonic. That's all.

And what makes it all even worse is that I can't figure out how to work in this damn body. How can someone even stand being this tall? It's awkward and with every movement I make I miscalculate the length of my limbs or the extent of my stride, and so I stumble or knock things over constantly. How is it that Mako can look so poised with his motions, and how the hell am I going to be able to pro-bend when I can't even figure out how to stand without nearly falling? My weight is too spread out; there's so much more area to control. If I didn't appreciate tall people before, then I definitely appreciate them now.

The only thing that I admit I like about this is seeing life through his eyes. Sure, it's weird as I stand here gazing at the bathroom mirror, and I don't see me, but rather his face, but I think it's fascinating. I bring my hands up, large and calloused, and press them to my cheeks. It feels amazing to hold this face again, although it's odd that technically it's mine now. At least, for the time being. I've been dying to touch his skin, to feel his natural warmth envelop me in his embrace. I can feel the warmth now, but it's not as satisfying when it's coming from my own body.

And it's making my balls sweat. Which has to be the most unpleasant experience of my life.

It's not that I'm not… _familiar_ with that area of Mako's body, it's just beyond disturbing to feel it _on_ me and not _in_ me. And it's hard to figure out how to sit with what feels almost like an extra leg down there. I keep shifting uncomfortably, trying to give the area some breathing room, but I can only do so much without taking my pants off. Although with Mako gone babysitting and Bolin out on a date with one of his fangirls, I really could do whatever I want…

My pants are off in an instant, and already I feel more relieved walking around the apartment in just my boxers and a tank. I need to find something to do with myself while everyone is gone. With the tournament drawing closer, the arena staff gave Mako the weekend and next week off so he can practice, which I can't be more thankful for since I absolutely do not want to figure out how to deal with more people that know Mako right now. As far as I know, we don't need to go shopping for food, and there's not much cleaning to be done either. I have this strange urge to read though, and so I go digging through Mako's room for a book that seems at least a little bit interesting.

Once I find one I head back to my own room. It doesn't feel right staying in his, with his bed and clothes and everything that I feel like I shouldn't be allowed near. So sit against the wall on my own bed and read. It doesn't take very long for me to get distracted though by the unusually alluring smell of… is that _me_? I mean, my real body? I snatch up one of my pillows and press my face to it, and sure enough, that same intoxicating smell tickles my nose. Goosebumps rise on my arms the more I inhale it, and I can't get enough of that scent. I never noticed that I had a particular smell though, and I never thought I would like it this much. It's fresh, a little salty like the ocean breeze, and so delicious and…

What is _that_?

I'm almost too scared to look down and see, because I'm 99.97% sure that this is what a boner feels like, and I probably, most likely, have one. _I am not aroused by myself. I am not aroused by myself. I am not aroused by myself…_ I repeat over and over in my head, because that is just too wrong. This has officially crossed over into territory that I am not willing to deal with. I've never thought about myself in any sort of sexual way, which is why I can't understand why it's having such an effect on this body.

Oh. _This_ body.

Could it be possible that…? No, that can't be right. If it was true, if it was not me, but this body that was aroused by my real one, then does that mean Mako likes me?

Okay, maybe not likes me, but at least is turned on by me?

My heart starts pounding, and I'm not sure if it's from _other_ things or what I've just realized. I don't even know if the idea is possible, but then again only twenty four hours ago I thought body swapping was impossible too. And if it is true, then can Mako feel it too? Can he sense my attraction to him? Is he going through the same physically numbing torture as me? In the back of my mind I wish he is, just so he can finally understand how I feel about him. I should be scared of him finding out, but at this point it has caused me so much stress and confusion to keep it in that I'd rather he find out on his own and spare me the embarrassment of telling him. It still makes my stomach twist with anxiousness, wondering if he's figured this all out too.

I glance back down at my very visible predicament, hoping it will just… disappear or do whatever boners do to go away without me having to do it myself. I don't think I can bring myself to even consider _that_ at this point. So I just do what I've heard guys do when they've got a boner and I head to the bathroom for a cold shower. I start to take off my shirt, pulling it over my head and then tossing it onto the floor. I hook my fingers into my shorts, and it hits me that this will be the first time I've seen Mako naked since… well, years. I can still remember the hard outlines of his chest and abs, those boney hips, every inch of his milky pale skin. The thought makes me shiver.

I feel like I should close my eyes as I pull down his boxers, and so I do. Just the shorts rubbing against my dick makes me shudder, and I really need to get rid of this thing now before Mako's body decides that relief is more important than my reluctance. I open one eye and out of curiosity peer down, and _wow_ that is a lot bigger than I remember and immediately I look away, trying impossibly hard not to stare.

The cold water pricks my skin like needles at first, but thankfully it does the job, and little Mako is back to his normal state in no time. I guess this means that I should be more cautious when it comes to my real body, and whatever gets this new one aroused. I take my time in the shower, since I don't have anywhere to be, and just enjoy the feeling of the water. I let the droplets dribble down my arms and to my fingertips, over my chest, at which I still have to do a double-take when I realizes my breasts aren't there. Instead are Mako's smooth, hard pecks, which I really don't mind at all. While I rub soap on my skin I make sure to take the time to feel them again, as well as my solid abs and toned biceps, lean neck, feathery hair…

Shit, did I really break up with all of _this_?

I don't know what compels me to do it, but my hand starts to slowly trail down my stomach, brushing along the trail of hair down below my naval. I shiver, and just as I feel the defined pelvic lines under my fingers a deafening bang permeates the room. I jump and nearly fall on my ass, losing my footing on the slippery tub surface.

"KOR- I MEAN MAKO. MAKO GET OUT HERE. I NEED YOUR _HELP_."

Am I always that whiny sounding when I want something?

I quickly turn off the taps and shake my hair out with a towel, then I wrap it around my waist. A spark of genius hits me then, and I make sure the towel is just barely hung on my hips, showing off as much as I can. It's the perfect opportunity to check if my theory is true…

I open the door and there he is, of course, sweating and panting, hair down and a mess, probably because he couldn't figure out how to put it up right this morning. Not surprisingly, the airbender kids are here too, already leaving a tornado of a mess behind them. Granted, it's only Rohan and Meelo who cause most of the trouble, but Ikki is still a plausible culprit when it comes to the pranks and jokes pulled on Air Temple Island. Jinora has taken to sitting back and watching the mayhem ensue rather than trying to control her erratic siblings, and I guess I should have warned Mako of the incredible amount of patience required to keep these kids under control.

"What's up? You need something?" I play it cool, leaning against the doorway with one arm propped above my head on the wood, the other hand on my hip.

It's so obvious the way his blue eyes literally scan every inch of me, and I don't blame him. Knowing Mako's body, I probably look overwhelmingly attractive right now, with my skin sprinkled with water and my hair tousled, not to mention the extensive amount of abs I'm showing.

"Korra?" I pull his attention back up to my face, and the blush on his cheeks is so bright that it makes my lips twitch in an effort not to grin. _Korra, you may have finally figured something out on your own for once!_

He looks up at me with wide, cerulean doe eyes, "Save me. Take them away. Do something, _anything_!"

"Pleading for my help already, huh?" I laugh, shaking my head, then lower my voice, "Not so easy being me, is it?"

"Yeah, well not all of us get to sit around on our asses on our day off, okay?"

"That must really stink for you then."

"Shut up and help me."

Taking a step forward, I fold my arms over my chest. "Why should I?" Mako glowers at me, and the glare is enough to make me cave. "Alright, alright, fine. But you're not getting out of this. I'll help you, but I'm not doing it by myself."

"Fair enough," he shrugs, "but you do need to put some pants on first. You're looking a little… stiff there." His eyes dart down to my crotch, where my oh-so-favorite visitor is returning for another go at it. This time it's my cheeks that grow hot, and I quickly look away.

"Right. I'll finish in a seco- I mean, I'll come ba- I mean… just nevermind!" I brush past him and storm to my bedroom, which ends up being the wrong bedroom, because apparently I'm still an idiot no matter what body I'm in. I slam the door of Mako's room shut behind me and quickly dig around for some pants and a tank in his drawers. _Damn him for making me look stupid when the whole point was to make him uncomfortable! _Muttering angrily, I finish dressing and then fling the door open, meeting Mako back in the living room.

Rohan is bolting about the room in circles and screaming with the high pitched shrill of a three year old while Meelo chases him around, spewing gusts of air at the toddler's feet and laughing. Mako is lying on the floor in the center of them, arms draped over his eyes and half-heartedly mumbling at the kids to "Please, spare me," and "Just give it up before my insanity is completely gone". He can be so dramatic sometimes.

When I walk in the two girls simultaneously wave and swoon, "Hi, Mako!" And those little sneaks thought I'd never figure out their more than creepy crush on my teammate. Could they be more obvious about it?

"Hey girls. Why aren't you helping out Aunty Korra?" Ever since Rohan started calling me that, the title had stuck with the rest of the kids. Even Mako called me it a few times in front of the family, and it made me blush furiously. I couldn't help but imagine them calling him Uncle Mako, and then fantasizing about all of the implications that came from that.

"She's acting funny today," Jinora replies with a slight wrinkle in her nose, like she smells something odd. "Usually she can handle my brothers fine, but they're really getting to her."

"Yeah," Ikki chimes in, eager to talk, "it's like she's not even Korra! She always threatens us with bending, but she hasn't even tried it once today." _Threatens_. Glad their not afraid to share that bit of information with Mako.

"Alright, don't worry girls. I'll handle it then," I ruffle both of their hair, because I know it will make them squeal with delight, and then saunter over to where Mako is lying.

"Help me, pleaseeeeee," he groans, and it's almost too funny to see Mako lose it like this.

"Beg."

His blue eyes shoot open suddenly, singing me like fire. "No."

"Fine, I'll just be going then-"

"Mako," he growls, and the deep tone of it makes me shiver. _So that's what I sounded like when we would… __**wow**__._

I'm not breaking that easily though, and I smirk at him teasingly. "Magic words please." He knows exactly what I want him to say, and I can see the hesitance in his eyes.

"Do I have to?"

"Yep."

He sighs and sits up, casting his embarrassed gaze at the floor instead of me, and slowly starts speaking. "I am a no good, dirtyfarbemer…" he mumbles, making sure to slur the word.

"I'm sorry, what was that Korra?"

"I'm a no good dirty fartbender," he spats, and immediately Rohan and Meelo stop their shenanigans and break into fits of laughter.

"Korra's a fartbender! Korra's a fartbender!"

"Aaaaand?" I prompt, grinning blatantly now.

"And I am not worthy of the presence of a great bending master such as you."

"Such as you…?"

"Senpai." He adds with a huff, and I'm sufficiently pleased.

"Alright boys, why don't we give Aunty Korra a break since she can't handle all this fun," I take the two giggling boys in my arms and bring them to the kitchen. "Why don't we have lunch, huh? Noodles sound good?"

"Yeah!" They both nod eagerly, and I look to Mako, winking. He gets up and starts pulling out pots and bowls, grateful to be doing that instead of dealing with the little monsters I'm wrangling with. I must admit, it does take a bit of skill to tame these kids, but it was still amusing watching Mako try to figure out how.

"Mako," Jinora comes over and sits in the seat next to me at the table, fluttering her eyelashes cheekily, "are you and Korra ever gonna date again?"

I nearly spray the water I'm drinking out of my mouth, choking when I inhale some of it. It's a while before I can speak, and when I do, it's strained and raspy. "I-uh, I don't know." I see Mako flash a look at me out of the corner of my eye, but I'm too scared to acknowledge it.

"But don't you live together?"

"Well, yes, but like friends."

"But when people get married don't they live together?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"And when people get married, doesn't that mean they're in love?"

"Well, _yes_, but-"

"And you fall in love after dating someone, right?" She adds quickly.

"Well, yes, but-"

"So since you're living together, then that means you love each other and are going to get married," Jinora concludes with a smirk, and I really hate the twisted logic of children sometimes.

"Jin, listen. I… love Korra very much, _because_ she's my friend. We live together, and everything because we get along, well, for the most part, and I like being with her." I glance over at Mako who has stopped moving, clearly listening to me. "I'll always care about Korra- she's my best friend- and the guy who gets to marry her will be the luckiest man to live, but that's it. We're just friends. Isn't that right, Korra?" I hope Mako understands what I'm asking. _Is this how you really feel? Did I sum it up right for you?_

"Uh," he pauses, staring down at the floor, "yeah. Just friends."

I shouldn't be upset by it, but I am. I'm hurt so bad because of it. It's like I've just had to tell myself the reality of the situation out loud and in front of everyone, and it sucks. I always hoped that there was a chance, just a little glimmer of a chance that things would work out between us. Everyone else just assumed it would too. But what he just said, or rather, what he agreed to, was that we'd always be friends. We'd always be those two people that never gave it a second chance.

Dammit, I should have told Jinora we were fucking. Then maybe it would have come true too.

It's obscenely quiet now, and Rohan is leaning heavily on my shoulder, his eyes drooping shut every few seconds or so, only to pop back open again in an effort to stay awake. It's almost cute, aside from the ridiculous amount of drool that's pooling on my shoulder because of him. Meelo's already passed out on the couch, surprisingly, and the girls are lying on the rug playing pai sho almost silently with Mako. It's probably the only game he can handle with them, except he has to intentionally lose so they don't get upset.

"I'd say it's nap time," I finally suggest just as Rohan starts yawning, and Mako nods.

"Good idea. Ikki, Jinora, why don't you go lay down in my bed. Mako, put the boys in yours."

"But I'm not tiredddd!" Ikki interjects, but yawns too immediately after, making Mako smirk.

"Nice try kiddo, but even big kids like me take naps sometimes." He takes a hand from each of them in his and leads them to my room, and I scoop up Meelo in my arm and take the boys to Mako's room.

After the kids are situated and snoozing, we close the bedroom doors and flop down onto the couches in the living room. Mako looks beyond exhausted, a slight frown etched on his face and a crease between his brow. He looks… pretty though. Even if his hair is a mess.

"Hey, go get my hair clips and a comb," I say, and he gets up with an overdramatic sigh that fits me perfectly.

He hands them to me when he gets back and asks, "Why do you need them? I don't think they'll go well with your outfit anyway," he jokes tiredly, and I shake my head.

"Just sit," I indicate to the floor in front of me, and he folds his legs and sits between my knees, back to me.

"Sorry," he finally says, "I couldn't figure out how to do it on myself this morning."

"I figured." I start brushing out the mass of tangles, trying to be gentle, but it's hard to when there's so many knots. He whines when I yank too hard, and the noise goes straight to my groin.

"Please be careful, I'm pretty sure you'll want hair still on your head when you get your body back."

"Sorry," I mumble, trying to ignore the heat racing through me.

We're quiet for a bit while I get his hair brushed out, leaving it soft and silky when I run my hands through it. I had no idea my hair felt this soft and think, so tempting to weave my fingers through and pull and…

_Clean thoughts, clean thoughts, cLEAN THOUGHTS DAMMIT._

"That's funny."

My attention is snapped back when Mako chuckles softly.

"What?"

"Just… well yesterday, we were doing the same exact thing, only we were switched… sort of. It's like a replay through your eyes, you know?"

"Yeah," I agree quietly, trying to hide the strain I know is apparent in my voice. I start gathering up his hair and pulling it into the wolftails, and suddenly I hear something that makes me lose all hopes of regaining my composure.

Mako _moans_.

It's so gentle and spontaneous that I'm not sure if it's real, but then I realize he's leaning into my hands, like a cat asking to be pet again, and the more I work his hair the more he lets out tiny noises like that. It's driving me absolutely insane. Of course, I knew Mako liked having his hair pulled from when we… yeah, but I had no idea I could get this kind of reaction out of him. Maybe it's the long hair, maybe the heightened hormones, but I'm willing to bet my face to Koh that Mako is getting as turned on as me right now.

"A-are you okay?" I stutter, hoping I don't sound like too much of an idiot.

"Mhmm," he sighs. "It feels good, that's all. Now I see why girls like it when people play with their hair."

"Yeah," I laugh, "remember how I always used to ask you to put my hair up for me? It's the best feeling ever." I start to put one of the clips in, but his hand comes up and stops mine.

"No, keep going."

I'm shocked stiff for a moment, partially because he wants me to keep touching him, and partially because his tone is laced with the slightest edge of neediness that I'm afraid if I move my erection will never fucking go away. Slowly I run my fingers through the chestnut locks, and it seems to relax him. He lets his shoulders slump a little and leans even closer to me. I hear him yawn, and after a while he rests his head on my leg, drawing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. Neither of us say anything for a long time while I braid and unbraid his hair, until finally I realize his breathing has evened out, and he's hardly moving.

"Mako?" I whisper and get no response in return. I can't help but smile, because he's fallen asleep apparently, and the look on his face is so adorable that I can't bear to wake him up.

With my new strength, I lift him up onto the couch and rest his head on my legs, making sure to continue playing with his hair. I lean against the arm of the couch, resting a cheek in one palm while the other hand works through glossy strands. My eyes close, and my mind wanders absently until the afternoon glow in the window fades to hazy orange, and I drift into a dark sleep.

**Welp, that's it! I hope you guys liked it, and sorry for the long update wait. Hopefully I'll be more on top of things now that the school play is over. But chyeah. I'd really appreciate reviews too, if you could spare the time! Thanks so much1**


	4. The Morning After

**SURPRISE! I UPDATED WITHOUT WARNING ANY OF YOUUUU :D anyway, I know it's short, but I wanted to give you guys something for making you wait so long. But upcoming chapters should have some action in them (not specifying what kind ;D) But yeah I hope you all enjoy this and so, sooooooo sorry for the wait.**

**The Morning After**

"Mako? Pssst, Mako. Wake up!"

Groaning, I roll over, half-heartedly swatting at whoever thinks it's okay to wake me up after babysitting. Fucking _babysitting_. It almost makes me never want to have children just thinking about it. Who knew they could scream that loud? And how could it possibly be considered healthy to be able to fart that much? Disgusting.

"Makoooo. I know you can hear me."

It's strange, almost like I'm hearing out loud what goes through my head every morning. My own voice scolding me to wake up...

That's something I could honestly say I would have never thought I'd hear.

"Hmmm?" I finally groan angrily, curling tighter into myself and pressing my head into a pillow. My pillow laughs slightly though, and my eyes shoot open instantly. Korra's looking down at me with a sleepy gaze in her amber eyes, raven hair mussed still from earlier- wait, is it still Friday? I can't tell since it's dark outside -and the tiniest of smiles is on her lips. It takes me a minute to fully grasp that my head is resting on her stomach, and her hand is combing through my hair again, and I'm so incredibly comfortable that I really don't want to move, despite how weird the situation is.

"Good morning," she chuckles, probably because she's noticed the surprised and completely confused look on my face.

"How did I get here, where are the kids, and why am I laying on you?"

"No good morning for me? Fine," she pouts, but continues to answer me anyway. "You fell asleep while I was playing with your hair, and then Tenzin stopped by to pick them up. I moved you onto the couch after that and I drifted off after a while too. Is there something wrong with this position?" The small smile on her lips grows into a fuller, more cocky one.

"Yeah, there is," I say shortly, sitting up and adjusting my shirt, which had ridden up in the middle of my nap, and trying to hide the blush on my cheeks. _Spirits, this body gets flustered easily._

"You looked pretty happy while you were sleeping. Dreaming of me, city boy?"

"You can't call me that anymore. And _no_, I wasn't, but it looks like you were," I flick my eyes down to her crotch and return her smirk. It's probably just "morning" wood, but it wouldn't be the first time I've dreamt about Korra and had a similar reaction.

"N-no!" She stutters, now realizing my implications and adjusting her legs to conceal that spot. "This damn thing just has a mind of its own, I swear."

"Pretty much," I shrug. "You're just supposed to give it what it wants, and then everything stays put. For the most part."

"I don't think you'd be okay with what it wants, but maybe that's just me."

I'm a little caught off guard by her… honesty, I guess you could call it, but really I should be getting used to it. It's clear things like this are going to be a common topic of conversation until things are back to normal, whether either of us want to admit it or not.

"You really think so?" I don't mean for it to sound like a challenge, but it does.

"I know so."

"Try me."

Korra looks at me with raised eyebrows. I've basically just welcomed her to seduce me, and even I'm a bit impressed and shocked by my boldness.

I can see her thinking it over, as if she's actually _considering_ doing it. She chews her lip for a moment, then asks, "Will you get mad?"

"No." I… don't think I meant to say that out loud.

Her surprised look softens into a more concentrated, thoughtful one as she leans forward, "You promise? I mean, things are already complicated enough as-"

I don't know why, but my body is just screaming for me to move forward and I… well, I kiss her. But I'm not really kissing _her_, I'm kissing _me_, but the sensation it creates is just as arousing as it used to be when it was the right way. My lips feel a lot different than hers, and I can feel the stubble on her chin when I bring a hand up to hold her in place. The need that's softly aching between my legs feels nothing like a boner, but the desire is all the same. It's what holds me there for longer than necessary, and way longer than her or I intend.

Okay, I may intended it a little but that's aside from the point.

But the more important part is that she kisses me _back_. In the back of my mind, there's a small voice telling me that she's right, and that kissing her will probably confuse me and complicate the hell out of this situation, but the more dominant hormones within me are saying that this is good. This is more than good, actually. This is what I've wanted ever since we broke up. It feels like it's been years since I've been able to do this, but at the same time, it's so far from what I've been wishing for.

"Mako," she pulls away, but only far enough that she can speak, "you're not helping. In fact, you've made it worse."

I can't help but laugh, because I know exactly what she's talking about. "Welcome to my world, Avatar. Imagine dealing with that for a year. Every single time you kissed me."

"I think I could manage. You're just weak."

"Weak, huh," I brush my lips to hers again, making sure it's not close enough to be a full kiss, "I know exactly how to make you weak, so don't test me."

My pulse is beating excessively loud in my head, and I'm having trouble comprehending how fast this has all happened, and why, _why_ it all has to happen now. The intensity of Korra's concealed feelings towards me is so strong in this body that I know it must be the same for her. She must feel it too, and that's why she's okay with this. Or at least, I'm assuming it's okay since she hasn't bended my ass to the moon yet.

"Well, if my logic is correct, then it doesn't matter what you know about me. It's what you know about yourself. After all, you're playing in a whole new arena now, mister." Her eyes simmer with confidence, her gaze so strong that I don't dare look away.

"Good think I'm a pro, then," I murmur, imitating that same look in her fiery stare. I'm definitely challenging her now; if she wants more, then she's going to have to do something about it herself. I don't want this to turn into a one-sided thing, one of us feeling more than the other, sort of like the last time.

Actually, a lot like last time. Which was not a good experience for me.

It's easy to see the contemplation in her eyes; her natural tendency to explore her curiosity is overwhelming her. She probably is just as intrigued by the idea of kissing herself as I am. She leans forward again, and this time presses her lips more firmly to mine. Wow this is a bad idea. This is a terrible idea, actually, because what better way is there to fuck with the already confusing beyond belief relationship between me and Korra than by essentially setting a time bomb on the shit-ton of sexual tension already between us? The answer is none, because just this is enough to do the trick.

Clearly my mind is in other places while Korra continues kissing me, a strong, calloused hand weaving through my hair and holding me close, the other settling on my waist. She's aggressive, just like she always used to be, but with even more strength now. Her lips take mine eagerly, her warm breath invades my mouth, and it feels like we're both about to surrender our self-control and give in to the nagging urges within.

Korra pulls away with a gasp, eyes wide and regretful. Dammit! She's upset. And it's my fault.

Fucking great.

"We need to stop," she breathes.

"Right," I agree quickly, nodding my head.

"You know, for the team."

"Right, yeah-"

"For the team, yeah-"

"Yeah.

It's ridiculous how fast my lips are against hers again, prying them open and forcing my tongue inside her hot mouth. She gasps at my aggression, but easily matches my pace and pushes back with as much force. She's quickly figuring out her advantages over me though, and the hand guiding my waist tightens and pulls me closer. My skin pinches under his grip where there's probably going to be a bruise tomorrow. Each breathe through my nose comes out heavy and shuddering as that aching just below my stomach grows stronger and stronger.

I want her.

I want her so fucking bad it hurts.

She's shaking, I can feel it as her arm encircles me and the hand caressing my hair turns into a death grip. "Ma… Mako-" she rasps into my lips, "stah… s-stop. We hah-… have to stop."

"Please, Korra please no," I almost beg between kisses. Maybe I'm being too obvious with my emotions, but if she hasn't figured out how I feel about her by now then I've got other things to worry about. She moans at my words, and now I'm almost one hundred percent certain that I will be having sex with the woman I love tonight and just the thought is more than I can handle. My hand moves to hem of her sweats, sliding under her tank, and I can feel the thin trail of hair leading down from her naval to exactly where I want to be.

A hand suddenly stops mine though, and I open my eyes reluctantly to see a soft but serious look on Korra's face. I know what she wants, and the last thing I want to do is make her hate me, so I slide my hand away. I can't meet her gaze now, because I feel like a stupid, horny teenager again who can't control his hormones instead of an adult.

"Mako," she whispers, her voice still hoarse with arousal, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just- I don't want to put the team at stake. We can't do this."

I'm so disappointed, and I know she can tell, but I don't want to make her uncomfortable. "You're right," I sigh, and she looks surprised when I say it. "I'm sorry I lost control. It's just that I… I miss you, Korra. I know I see you every day, but I miss you _so much_."

"Mako, you sh-"

"HELLOOOO REPUBLIC CITAYYY!"

Korra jumps at the noise, and it takes me a second to realize that it's Bolin who is causing the ruckus. "Dammit," I huff, looking away from Korra as I feel my cheeks grow hot. She pulls her hands off of me quickly and slides further away just as Bo walks into the living room.

Correction; _stumbles_ into the living room.

"Wassup my favoritest teammates ever? Hope I'm not interrupting anything too steamy," he slurs, slumping against the wall and wagging an eyebrow at us. A young looking, raven-haired girl walks in behind him and puts a delicate hand on his shoulder. She gives a sly smile to us, then glances over at my brother.

"Bobo, aren't you going to introduce me?" Her voice is low and sultry, and her eyes are half-lidded in a seductive gaze. It doesn't surprise me that Bolin was able to find her in a crowd.

"Yeah, sure! That's my big bro, Mako and that's Korra, his lady friend. If ya know what I mean," he chuckles, and I'm already fed up with his antics.

"Bolin," I nearly spit, "didn't I tell you I don't want you getting drunk? You could get in serious trouble."

"Chill out, Kor. What's the big deal?" He looks at me quizzically, a little too confused in his state. "You were drinking the other night too."

There's a short silence, and I realize I made a stupid mistake. Korra cuts in though right before it gets too awkward, "She's just trying to look out for you Bo. Just like I am. She knows I get worried when you drink and she's just wants to help."

"Exactly," I nod, quickly giving Korra a silent "thank you".

"I'm not a little kid guys," Bolin says with a drunken smile and winks at his date, "you don't have to babysit me anymore. You guys can have your private time, and I'll have mine."

The girl giggles as he takes her by the hand and leads her to his room. He's right, I can't tell him not to, but it still makes me more angry than it should. When the door closes behind them I have to stop myself from shooting spewing jets of flames at it. Korra must be able to sense my frustration and puts her hand on my shoulder. Things are just not going my way tonight.

"Hey, it's okay. He's gonna be fine."

"If he thinks he's an adult now, then he's gonna be in for a hell of a surprise when he has to grow up," I mutter, hardly hearing her.

It's silent again, aside from the annoying giggles coming from Bolin's room, which makes me want to vomit. I'm sure Korra has no idea what to say to me know, not only because I made the whole thing with Bo awkward, but because I practically told her that I still wanted her. And she never said anything back.

Fuck.

It would be completely idiotic of me to think she ever would. Just a hopeless dream, really. And now I'm so embarrassed that I even said anything in the first place, because now she's probably thinking about how glad she is that she broke up with me in the first place. I'm too clingy and rash and just so-

"Mako."

I look up at her, and I realize there are tears on my cheeks, and my fists are clenched within flames, and now I probably seem even more pathetic. I'm a wreck, and that's all she probably thinks about me.

"What?

"I-um…"

"If you're going to apologize again then save it. It's no use," I stand up, refusing to look at her. "I'm going to bed.

Knowing Korra, she's probably going to be upset with me for being so dramatic, but I just can't deal with this right now. I leave without another word, striding to my bedroom. I reach out to open the door, but her voice stops me, quiet and hesitant.

"Do you want me to come with?"

I freeze, my face, if possible, grows even more red than before, and all I want to do is say _yes_. But I'm terrified. I don't want to scare her away just when things could possibly get better. I'm stuck in an internal debate for too long, and I'm sure she probably assumes I don't want her to by now.

I force myself to stutter out, "Y-yes," just barely loud enough for her to hear.

Fabric shifts in the other room, and before I know it she's next to me and opening the door, taking me by the hand and pulling me inside. I blindly follow her, trying not to overthink it. She lays down and leads me beside her, taking the sheets and throwing it over us. It should be me doing all of this, making her comfortable, pulling her against me as we fall asleep, but instead I let her do it. I don't feel like me in this body anyway. She wraps an arm over my side and pulls me close, almost nose to nose. I keep my eyes closed, afraid of letting more tears out and of seeing the look on her face. We lay there in silence for a long time, both of us unwilling to break it. I'm almost asleep when I finally hear one last whisper.

"You wanna blow off some steam tomorrow?"

I answer without thinking.

"Yes."


End file.
